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J. M. MAYS.

CHAIN PROPELLER.

No: 599,451. Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

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JAMES M. MAYS, OF CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IALF TO EDWARD E. OONANT, OF SAME PLACE.

CHABN PROPIELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,451 ,dated February 22, 1898. Application filed May 28, 1897. Serial No. 638,508. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES M. MAYS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State of W'est Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chain-Propellers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has relation to that type of propellers in which the paddles are carried by endless chains; and the invention consists in certain peculiarities in the construction, ar-

rangement, and combinations of the several parts, substantially as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

The object ofthe invention is to produce a propeller for either large or small Water-craft which may be operated with a minimum of power and will have maximum efficiency. This object is accomplished by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chain-propeller constructed in accordance with my invention. .Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the paddles. Fig. 4 is a view looking at the side opposite that shown in Fig. 1, a part of the frame being shown; and Fig. 5 is a front elevation.

The same numerals of reference designate the same parts in the several figures.

The frame 1 indicates a wheel-house, which maybe of any suitable construction, and within it are journaled the ends of two parallel shafts 2 and 3. Fixed upon each of said shafts, near the ends thereof, are two sprocket-wheels f and 5. The wheels 4 are connected by an endless chain 6 and the wheels 5 by an endless sprocket-chain 7, whereby said wheels and shafts turn in unison. 8 and 9 designate two sprocket-wheels which are located adjacent to said wheels 4 and are supported eccentrically with relation thereto in the manner hereinafter described. These wheels 8 and 9 are connected by an endless sprocket-chain 10. The paddles 11 are carried by said chains 6, 7, and and are located at proper intervals apart between the chains 6 and 7. Each of said paddles is provided with journals 12 and 13 at its ends, and the former journal 12 is continued upward and outward to form a crank 14. Secured at proper intervals apart on the chains 6 and 7 are journal-boxes 15 for the journals 12 and 13, and the chain 10 similarly is provided with journal-boxes 16 for the horizontal portions of the cranks 1%.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a propeller of great power and effectiveness, as the paddles are held perpendicularly to the chains, have a considerable length of travel in a horizontal plane through the water while thus held perpendicularly, and enter and leave the water in such a way as not materially to impede the progress of the boat.

In order that the propeller may be operated easily, notwithstanding the length of stroke of a series of vertical blades traveling at once in a horizontal plane through the water, the eccentric wheels 8 and 9 are supported wholly by rollers,hereinafter described, and the ends of the shafts 2 and 3 are equipped similarly with roller-bearings 17. Said rollers 17 are preferably journaled in the ends of arms 18, properly secured to the wheel-house or frame 1, or in lieu of using a single roller for each end of each shaft a line of rollers supported in any suitable manner may be employed for each of said ends.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the wheels 8 and 9 are made with open centers and without arms, or, in other words, that each of said wheels consists solely of a ring having sprocket teeth projecting outward from its periphery. The said rings are formed to provide grooves 19 around their inner surfaces, and the rollers 20, constituting the supports for said rings or wheels, project into said grooves. The vertical walls of said grooves coact with the sides of said rollers 20 to prevent lateral displacement of said rings Said rollers 20 are arranged in or wheels.

the arc of a circle and within the upper half of the respective wheels or rings 8 and 9 and are journaled loosely on shafts 23. To reduce wear and keep the rollers 20 in their proper positions relatively to the ring and each other, metallic .L-shaped arms 21 may be provided partly or wholly to support said shafts 23, and to further insure the proper support of the rings or wheels 8 and 9 by said rollers 20 an additional roller 22 is journaled loosely on a shaft in the center of each of said wheels or rings 8 and 9 and engages each of the rollers 20 in said wheel or ring.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a most simple, cheap, and durable propeller, which is extremely effective in its operation and may be operated with little power.

For large propellers it may be preferred to have sprockets 8 and 9 and chain 10 at both sides of the propeller instead of at one side only, in which case the paddles will have cranks 14 at each end, as is obvious.

Having thus described my invention, what I believe to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a chain-propeller, the combination with the shafts, the sprocket-wheels fixed on said shafts near the ends thereof, and the endsaid cranks, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a propeller, the combination of the paddles journaled at their ends and having cranks projecting from said journals, and means for carrying said paddles and for holding the same vertical during their entire travel, said means embodying a ring arranged eccentrically and rollers arranged within said ring and engaging the inner surface thereof, said rollers operating to support said ring rotatively, substantially as shown and described.

3. The herein-described chain-propeller, consisting of the shafts, antifriction-rollers on the ends thereof, the sprocket-wheels on the ends of said shafts, endless chains connecting said sprocket-wheels in pairs, rings eccentrically arranged with relation to one pair of sprockets, said rings having grooved inner surfaces and being formed with teeth projecting outward from their peripheries, an endless chain engaging said teeth, a series of rollers in each ring, projecting into the groove therein, and a roller in the center of each ring, engaging said firstmentioned rollers therein, said rings being wholly supported by said rollers, and the paddles j ournaled in the first-mentioned chains and having cranks j ournaled in boxes carried by the other chain, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence oftwo Witnesses.

JAMES M. MAYS. Witnesses:

J. M. PAYNE, G. F. GRoFF. 

